Writing machine attachment



1946' J. DAVIDSON 2,392,838

WRITING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1942 3$heets-Sheet 1 a INVENTOR uomv I DA v/pso/v Jan. 15, 1946.

J. T. DAVIDSON WRITING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR In III/IA III.

4 AF TORN EY Jan. 15, 1946. J. DAVIDSON 2,392,838

WRI TING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVE NTOR 4/0/-//V I DA V/D50/V AT/TORNEY atented Jan. 15,

STATES PATENT orri WRITING MACHINE ATTAUHMENT liaising. Davidson, Dayton, Ohio, asaignor to The dard Re corporation 0 Ohio ter Company, Dayton, Ohio, a

Application'February 5, 1942, Serial No. 429,678

14 Claims. (Cl. 197'128) This invention pertains to dual strip feeding devices for recording machines, and actuating use, it is equally desirable that the long and short spacing of the imprinted legends be produced on the strips fed by either of the devices. When inscribing series connected detachable forms, it is also desirable that the strips be advanced proportionate to any remaining uninscri'bed portions thereof at the completion of records upon corresponding forms. in order that the succeeding set of forms, which may be of difierent 1ength,.be simultaneously presented in recording position with their initial record receiving areas in registry. I

In the present construction, reversible feed control means is provided whereby an optionally selected record strip may be advanced at accelerated rate of speed and the advancement of the remaining strip or strips retarded at the will of the operator, and further mean by which the remaining uninscribed portions of corresponding forms of whatever length of the respective strips may be advanced at-a single operation, and succeeding forms started in registry for a new cycle of recording operations.

The object of the invention is toimprove the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of strip feeding mechanism for record- 'ing and writing machines, whereby they may not only be economically manufactured, but will be 'more efficient in use, automatic in action, uniform in operation, haverelatively few operating parts, and be unlikely to get out of repair.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for simultaneously actuating each of dual strip feeding throughdiflerent range of movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide means by which either ofdual feeding devices may be given a range of movement greater than the other at will. v

A further object of the invention is to provide improved ejector means for strip feeding devices,

by which uninscribed portions of record material may be ejected by continuous operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide dual strip, feeding devices for a recording machine having the advantageous structural features and inherent meritorious characteristics and mode of operation herein mentioned. 7

a With the abov primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein is illustrated the pre-' ferred but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a strip feeding attachment for a recording machine, embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is aside elevation from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation from the right of Fig. 1. Fla. 4 is a sectional view on line fl of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail front view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the. dual feed mech-,

anism shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line l-i of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of a part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a detail of, the eiectormechanism shown in Fig. 2.

' Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

The present strip feeding apparatus is an attachment for a writing, billing, tabulating or about'the platen roll and past recording position by strip feeding means associated with the platen rolhwhile the remaining strip 5 is advanced also about the roll I and past the recording position tion. The record strip 4 is progressively advanced but at a different rate of speed, by additional roll.

In the drawings the platen roll has been shown provided at each end with a series of feeding pins r 8 engageable in longitudinally spaced holes in they feeding means in oilset relation with the platen cation.

the strip 5. However,it is to be understood that the present invention is in no way dependent of one or the side frames 3. as shown in Fig. 5,-

is a reciprocatory slotted slide l I, having adlacent its opposite ends slots [2 and i2. The slots l2 and 13 may be parallel, thus directing the slide a,ssa,sss

- having engagement in the slot 13. By rotating the stud 21 away from the ratchet wheel ll, whereby the slide is given a-slight inclination-to the vertical, and the pawl 24 is spaced farther from the ratchet wheel, the engagement 'of the pawl 24 therewith is delayed. The eflective action oi the pawl occurs only during the final range of move- II in a straight line movement, but are preierably somewhat inclined relative one to the other, whereby the slide is directed in a slightly lateral swinging motion simultaneously with its recipro- Pivoted to the slide II at I4 is a pawl l5, which is engageable with the ratchet wheel 9 under influence of a spring 16.

The retractive influence oi the spring 1'6 tends to oscillate the pawl l5 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 9 until arrested by engagement of the tail of the pawl I5 with an adjustable stop arm I I. The arm i1 is pivoted at l8 to the frame or the apparatus'and is held in any one of three or the notches 2 I". y parts are in relative positions to permit the maximum operative throw oi the pawl and advance-- ment of the platen roll and strip 4. -By depressing the stop arm I! and engaging the locking pin I 9 in another oi the notches 2|, the pawl will be held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel during a part of the operative movement, I

40 The greater movement may be imparted to either and be permitted to engage only during the completion of the movement or the slide, and so ad.- vance the ratchet wheel and'with it the platen rollandstrip 4 a lesser distance. The selective adjustment 0; the stop arm ii! enables the platen roll and strip 4 to be advanced through a single, double or triple space operation.

option of the operator.

At the limit of its advancement, whether the ratchet wheel and platen roll be advanced one, two or three spaces, the actuating pawl ii en- ..gages a stop finger 22 stationarily mounted on.

the frame 3 and projecting into the path or thepawl. This prevents overthrow by not only limther advance movement of the ratchet wheel.-

The final location of the platen roll at the end or each advancement is further assured by engagement or a yielding detent 23 with the teeth oi the ratchet wheel.

Pivotally attached to the upper end of the slide bar II and operable in unison with the actuatin pawl I8, is a second actuating pawl 24 engageable with the ratchet wheel it upon the shaft 8 to advance the pin wheels 1 and thereby the record strip 5.

The pawl 24, which is pivoted to the slide at 25. is subjected to the retractive influence or a spring 28, which tends to oscillate the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel I b. .To vary the effective stroke of the pawl 24, the upper end oi the slide II is adjustable toward and from the ratchet wheel. The slotted'portion oi the slide ment of the slide ii. At the end of its range of movement the pawl 24 engages with a'fix'ed stop 23 by which its range or movement is limited and by which it is temporarily locked in engagement with the ratchet wheel .to prevent overthrow of the pin wheels 1 and the record strip I.

As shown in Fig. 4, the slide is adjusted to ail'ord the maximum range of effective movement or the pawl 24. However, by rotation of the eccentrically mounted stud 21 the pawl 22 may be optionally'caused to advance the ratchet wheel [0 and with it the pin wheels 1 to advance the strip 5 through a single, double or triple space movement. The adjustments are such that, as illustrated in Fig. 4, both pawls are operative through their maximum ranges to advance both strips equally through the greatest degree. However, by adjusting the swinging arm I! to engage the locking pin in another oi the notches 2|, to thereby correspondingly limit the eflective range or the pawl l5 but leaving the stud 21 as shown, the strip 4 may-be advanced a lesser distance than the strip 5. To the contrary, by changing the adjustment of the. stud 21 without disturbing the adjustment of the stop arm l1 and hence without changing the efiective range or the pawl It, the strip 5 may be advanced a lesser distance than the strip 4,

The construction is quite flexible. Either strip may be advanced through single, double or triple spacing in unison with the advancement of the other through triple, double or single spacing.

strip. The movement of either strip may be varied independently of the other strip at the To impart movement to the slide it in timed sequence ,with the recording operation of the writing machine, a bell crank lever 29 (Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7) engages with a stud or lug .30 projecting from the lower end of the reciprocatory slide H and is oscillated in timed sequence with the recording operation by a retraetive belt 2! connected to a moving part of the writing machine. The oscillation of the bell crank lever 29 by whatever moving part of the writing machine, eiiects a downwardly retraction of the slide 1 I, by which simultaneously.

By the feeding means thus described, the strips 4 and I may be differentially fed in varyingratio, and the imprinted legends thereon may be diflerently spaced. Such feeding apparatus also en- "ables use of series connected forms of diflerent lengths. For example, one feeding device may be utilized to feed three and a half inch forms 1 and the other. may feed eleven inch forms, or one may be adapted to feed five and one-half inch forms and the other seventeen inch forms.

In such event, it is desirable that the corresponding forms of the respective series, although.

' of different lengths, be started evenly with'the initial legend receiving lines of the superposed forms in registry. To this end, ejector means is H is guided by an eccentrically mountedstud 2i 7 provided for enabling the unused portion or each aeoaaaa 3 form to be advanced and an additional advance- .ment of the succeeding forms sufllcient to compensate for a heading-space, to be eflected at a single stroke. The ejector means is manually operated and, as shown, is separably operable for 5 each feeding device.

Mounted on the platen roll shaft 2 is a gear pinion 32, which meshes with a gear 33 journaled on a stud 34 projecting from the side frame I.

platen roll' I and pin type feeding devices 5 sufli-' cient to advance the record strip 4 the distance of one complete form, the disc 35 will have been advanced in unison therewith the distance between succeeding notches.

Mounted on the trunnion stud 14 for free swinging motion through a predetermined range of movement is an operating lever 36. Carried by the lever 35 is a spring actuated pawl 3! which rides upon the periphery of the notched disc 35.

When the record strip is adjusted to present the initial writing line of the form at the recording position, the pawl 3'! will rest in a notch of the disc 85 in contact with the shoulder 38 thereof. As the platen roll and the record strip are advanced through successive step by step movements, the disc is proportionately idly advanced in unison; thereby carrying the shoulder 38 away from the pawl 51. When the record strip has advanced through the desired number of step by step movements, according to the numas her of inscribed legends, whether they are few or many, the hand lever 56 is drawn from the solid line position to the dotted line position in Fig. 3. In such operation the pawl 31 will ride idly on the periphery of the disc through the range of m'ovement that the disc has been advanced by the step by step actuation, before the pawl engages the shoulder 38. During the remainder of the movement of the hand lever- 55,

the pawl 31 by its engagement with the shoulder 38 will advance the disc in unison with the lever movement to the end of the predetermined range of movement of the latter. Such movement of the disc 35 under manual actuation of the hand lever 36 is transmitted through the intermeshing,

sents the succeeding form length of the record strip in position to receive the initial inscription thereon. 1 The same general construction is embodied in the ejector mechanism for the second feeding device. As shown at' the left in Fig. l and in Figs.

2 and 4, the shaft 8 of the pin wheels I carries a,

gear wheel 39, which meshes with a gear 40 loosely journaled on a stud 4|.. Attached for unison rotation with the gear 40 is a notched disc 42. Mounted on the stud" is an oscillatory 55 hand lever 43, which carries a spring actuated pawl 44 riding upon the periphery of the disc 42 as the latter is advanced by step by step actuation of the pin wheels I by the pawl 24 and ratchet wheel l0. During such step. by step advancement ofthe pin wheels I and unison advancement of the disc-42, the shoulder 45 of the disc is carried away from the pawl 44. At the completion of the line by line recording upon the strip 5, the

initial portion of the lever stroke the pawl 44 will ride idly upon the periphery of the disc 4:

until it engages the previously advanced shoulder 45 of the disc. During the remainder of the hand lever stroke, whether short or long, the pawl 44 will advance the disc 42' in unison with the lever movement until the latter is arrested at the limits of a prescribed range of movement. Such additional partial rotation of the disc 42 is trans- Attached to the gear 38 for unison rotation is a 10 mitted through the gears 40-55 to the shaft 8 and pin wheels I, to correspondingly'advance the record strip 5 sufllciently to present the initial writing line of the succeeding form in registry with the recording position. Y

Thus, the respective record strips, although comprising forms of different lengths receiving differently spaced inscriptions, will be presented with the initial writing lines of corresponding forms of the respective strips simultaneously at the recording position and in registry with each other. Such condition will prevail regardless of which strip is intermittently advanced through step by step movements of, greater extent, and which strip movement is of lesser degree.

While only single strips 4 and 5 have been illus: trated and mentioned, it is to be understood that multiple superposed strips may be utilized in each instance. The strip or strips 4 enter over a conventional paper guide 45 and after passing circumferentially about the platen roll I in'superposed relation with the strip or'strips 5 and beneath paper guides or hold down fingers 41, they are discharged upwardly and rearwardly in a direction tangential to the platen roll I over paper guides or hold down fingers. 48 associated with the pin wheels I. 4 The record strip or strips 5 enter the apparatus from the rear above thestrip 4 and over a guide rod 49 and intermediate lateral guide fingers 50. They pass thence tangentially to the rear sides of the pin wheels I, the pins of which engage therewith as the strips advance. The strips are held in feeding engagement with the rear sides of the pin wheels by rollers 5|.

Passing downwardly from the pin wheels I the strips 5 circumterentially traverse the platen roll and pass the writing position beneath the record strips 4. The record strips 5 leave the platen roller in an upwardly and rearwardly tangential direction beneath the paper guides 45' by which so the strips 5 are held again in feedin e a ement 'gears 33 3,2,to.the. platen roll,and.pindeed 5 g m g positively engaged, although" not necessarily so,

both during their entry into and during their exit from the strip feeding apparatus.

The guide rollers 5| are mounted on swinging elbow levers 52 and are urged by springs 53 toward the pin. wheels I to maintain the strips 5 in feeding relation therewith. By swinging the levers past dead center relation with the points of'attachment oi the springs 53, the rollers may be held in retracted relation to facilitate, initially inserting the strips 5. r

From the above-description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but

which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantases. 1

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention hasbeen described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to hand lever 3 is Pulled w During h is be understood that the invention is not limited determined extent.

to the specific features shown. but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into eilect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A writing machine wherein separate strips of record material are progressively advanced past a recording position and corresponding differently spaced writing positions thereon are successively registered with each other and with the recording position, dual feeding devices therefor, common actuating means for the respective feedln'gdevices, including a ratchet wheel associated with each feeding device, a reciprocatory slide, a pair of pawls carried thereby and engageable with the respective ratchet wheels'to' advance the wheels and therewith the feeding devices through predetermined degrees of movement at each reciprocation, an operative connection between the slide and operating part of the writing machine for reciprocating theslide in synchronism with re-. cording operationsof the machine, variable means movement independently of the other, a ratchet wheel associated with each feeding device, a reciprocatory actuating slide common toboth ratchet wheek, an operative connection between for delaying the engagement of the respective pawls each independently of the other with their related ratchet wheels, relative to the movement of the slide, including means for bodily adjusting at least a portion of the slide toward and from the disc through a furtherrotative movement,

and gears for transmitting the further rotation of the'discs to the respective feeding devices to thereby complete cycles of operation thereof of pre- 2. A writing machine wherein separate strips of record material are diiferentially advanced in the slide and a moving part of the writing machine by which the common actuating slide is reciprocated to energize the feeding devices alternately with recording operations of the writing machine, a pair of pawls carried by the slide engageable with the respective ratchet wheels,

-means for independently varying the period of engagement of the respective pawls with the ratchet wheels during the movement of the slide,

said actuation of the slide being effective to advance the dual feeding devices through successive step by step movements of different extent, and

additional actuating means for advancing the dual feeding devices through additional ranges of movement supplemental to the step by step movementsthereofof suflicient extent to complete predetermined cycles of operation of each of the feeding devices.

4. A writing iiachine wherein separate strips of record material are differentially advanced in unison past a "recording position and corresponding difl'erently spaced writing positions thereon are successively registered with each other and with the recording position, dual feeding devices therefor each operable through varying range of movement independently of the other, a ratchet wheel associated with each feeding device, a reciprocatory actuating slide common to both ratchet wheels, an operative connection between the slide anda moving part of the writing machine by which the common actuating slide is reciprocated to energize the feeding devices alternately with recording operations of the writing machine, a pair of pawls carried by the slide engageable with the respective ratchet wheels, and

a mounting upon which said reciprocatory slide is adjustable in its relation with at least one of the ratchet wheels to vary the period or engagement of the corresponding pawl carried by the slide with such ratchet wheel to vary the effective unison past arecording position and corresponding differently spaced writing positions thereon are successively registered with each other and therefor, common actuating means for the respective feeding devices operative in altematlon with the recording operations of the writing machine,

with the recording position, dual feeding devices control means for varying the extent of the feeding operations of therespective feeding devices, whereby either feeding device may be intermittently operated through alonger or shorter range of step by step movement simultaneously with the operation of the other feeding device and the ratio of feeding movements of the re- 9 spective feeding devices may be-reversed at the will 'of the operator, said feeding movements being cumulative and ejector means for each of the feeding devices for actuating the respective feeding differently spaced writing positions thereon are successively registered with each other and with the recording position, dual feeding devices movement of the corresponding feeding device.

5. A writing machine wherein separate strips of record material are differentially advanced in unison past a recording position and corresponding diflerently spaced writing positions thereon are successively registered with each other and with the recording position, dual "feeding devices therefor each operable through varying range of movementindependently of the other. a ratchet wheel associated with each feeding device, a reciprocatory actuating slide common to both ratchet wheels, an operative connection between the slide and a moving part of the writing machine by which the common actuating slide is reclprocated to energize the feeding devices alternately with recording operations of the writing machine, a pairof pawls carried by the slide engageable with the respective ratchet wheels, and a mount upon which the slide is adjustably supported for swinging motion relative to at least one of the ratchet wheels to thereby-vary the period of engagement of the corresponding pawl carried by'the slide with such ratchet wheel to vary the effective movement of the corresponding feeding device.

.6. A writing machine wherein separate strips of record material are differentially advanced in unison past a recording position and corresponding differentlyspaced writing spaces thereon are registered with each other and with the recordtherefor each operable through varying range of ing position. ualfeedingdevices therefor, common actuating mechanism for diiferentially energizing the dual feeding devices through step by step movements control means for varying the extent of step by step operative movement of each of the respective feeding devices independently of portionate to the combined extent of the step by step movements thereof to complete predetermined total range of feeding cycle of each feeding device.

-7. A writing machine wherein separate strips of record material are diflerentially advanced in unison past a recording position and corresponding difierently spaced writing spaces thereon-are registered with each other and with the recording position, dual feeding devices therefor, common actuating mechanism for differentially energizing the dual feeding devices through step by step movements, and additional actuating means for the dual feed devices operable independently of the step by step actuating means for advancing each of the feeding devices distances inversely proportionate to the distances said devices have been advanced by the step by step actuating mechanism to complete predetermined cycles of operation of the dual feeding devices.

8. In a recording apparatus, dual strip feeding devices for progressively advancing separate strips of record. material simultaneously through parallel paths of travel past a common recording position, a common actuating means therefor including a ratchet wheel associated with each feeding device for intermittent step by step movement, an intermittently operated reciprocatory actuator common to the respective feeding devices and associated ratchet wheels, a pair of either of the respective feeding devices may be altered independently of the other.

.10. In a recording apparatus, dual feeding devices for simultaneously advancing separate strips of record material diflerentially through concentric paths of travel .past a common recording position, common actuating means therefor and manually adjustable means for varying the range of operation of either feeding device independently oi the other feeding device whereby either of the feeding devices may be caused to advance the corresponding record strip a greater distance than that through which the other feeding device advances its corresponding strip.

11. A recording apparatus including dual strip feeding devices for advancing separate record strips different distances through parallel paths of travel pasta common recording position, a

ratchet wheel associated with each feeding device, a pair of actuating pawls, one for each ratchet wheel, common actuating means for the pawls, and adjustable control meansfor difierentially limiting the operative range of each of the pawls independently of the other whereby either of the pawls may be permitted a greater range of operative movement than the other at will. I

12. A recording apparatus including dual strip feeding devices each operative through variable range of movement to simultaneously advance separate strips of record material, through parallel paths of travel past a common recording position one through a greater distance than the other, and means for reversing the range of operation of the respective feeding devices whereby either of the record strips may be'advanced the greater distance at the will of the operator.

13. A recording apparatus, wherein dual record strips are difierentially advanced past a common writing position at which manifold records are produced on the respective strips, including separate feeding devices for the respective record strips, a common actuating means therefor,

means for optionally changing the ratio of advancement of the strips by the corresponding feeding devices whereby the range of advancement of either strip at each operation may be increased or decreased relative to the advancement of the other strip, and additional actuating means for completing the advancement of the respective strips through a predetermined range of movement and compensating for the previous advancement thereof by the common actuating means.

14. A recording apparatus, wherein dual record strips are difierentially advanced through step by step movement. past a common record receiving position and subsequently advanced through the remainder of a. predetermined range at each cycle of operation, including separate strip feeding devices for advancing the separate strips.

difierentially past a single writing position at which the strips receive manifold records, common actuating means therefor, regulatory means for varying the ratio of advancement of the respective strips, and additional actuating means for said strip feeding devices constructed and arranged to compensate for the previous step by step advancement of the strips and complete the advancement of the strips through a predeterminedrange of movement.

com: '1. DAVIDSON. 

